Pressing iron



Feb. 3, 1959 l. JEPSON 2,871,587

PRESSING IRON 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 12, 1954 INVENTOR.

Feb. 3, 1959 w. b aw w NM m RN WWM l. JEPSON 2,871,537

PRESSING IRON 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Feb. 3, 1959 Filed Nov. 12. 1954 F i i PRESSING IRON Ivar Jepson, 921k Park, Ill., assignor to Sunbeam Corporation, Chicago, 1th, a corporation of Iliinois The present invention relates to pressing irons and, more particularly, to apressing iron capable of readily being converted to a steam iron so that it may serve equally well as a steam or dry iron. Specifically, the present invention is an improvement on prior copending application Serial No. 192,671 filed October 28, 1950, now Patent 2,744,344, and assigned to the same assignee as the present application.

In the above mentioned copending Jepsonapplication there is disclosed and claimed a pressing iron which may be converted to a steam iron by connecting a steam'gencrating chamber defined in the iron to an external source of water. With this arrangement the electric iron does not need to include the conventional water tank for holding the water to be converted to steam and which water tank, of course, increases the sizeandthe weight of the iron. It will be appreciated that pressing irons of the type convertible to steam irons wherein the source of water to be converted to steam is an external source connected by a suitable conduit with the .iron can comprise a much smaller and more compact unit as far as the iron itself is concerned and more satisfactory to the housewife who has to manipulate the .iron than steam irons which have a built-in water tank. Steam irons of the type having a built-in water tank must be relatively light since housewives just refuse to push around heavy irons after having experienced extensiveluse with lightweight irons. This means that thebuilt-in water tank must be relatively small, since otherwise it will be a factor in increasing the weight of the iron when thetank is, full and if the tank is large will be clumsy and unsightly. A small built-in tank hasthe disadvantage, however,.that it requires repeated refilling by the housewife. This, in itself, would not be a serious problem if the housewife could merely place the iron under the faucet and add additional water to the built-in tank. Unfortunately in a great many localities ordinary tap water contains various amounts of mineral impurities which upon converting such water to steam are deposited within the iron, and particularly within the water flow control orifices and the steam ports, employed in such irons.

in steam irons of the so-called flash boiler type which have proven to be by far the most satisfactory type of steam iron, there are included small orifices and passageways controlled by needle valves which gradually fill up with mineral impurities if tap water is employed. As a matter of fact in many localities where the water is generally referred to as very hard these passageways and orifices are affected adversely so as to render the iron unfit with use after a very short time, such as one or two uses of the iron. As a result of this manufacturers who are completely honest with their product make it clear to the public that their steam iron should be used only with distilled water. This means that the housewife must purchase the distilled water and transfer the distilled water from the reservo'r of the steam iron. Withthe conventional steam iron holding only about five ounces of water,'it can the container in which it was purchased to 7 t United States Patent steam ironing.

have resorted to using 2,871,587 Patented Feb. 3, 1959 readily be appreciated that extensive filling of the builtin tank of the steam iron is necessary during an ironing operation if it is intended for the iron to produce real quantities of steam, which is important for satisfactory Housewives have objected to this repeated filling of the iron with distilled water, and many tap water with the result that the iron soon fails to work and the manufacturer gets complaints that his steam iron is unsatisfactory.

in a pressing iron of the type disclosed in the abovementioned copending application, this problem is completely obviated by having the housewife leave the distilled water in the containerin which it was purchased or pouring it into another container which is very large and which may contain sumcient water for doing a complete ironing or several ironings without refilling. This type of steam iron has a tremendous advantage in-that there is never more than a drop or two of water in the iron itself and, hence, the weight of the iron is the same whether used as a steam iron or as a dry iron and may be very light. It would be desirable to provide a steam iron of the type disclosed in the above-mentioned copending application which provides a greater ironing surface, a larger steam generating chamber and which is furthermore more capable of use for ironing pockets, sleeves, and the like in that it can get into those hardto-get-at places. At the same time it would be desirable to provide an iron that is small and compact, having a low overall height and yet which has all the desirable features and control of the steam iron of the copending application which has proven to be commercially very successful.

Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved pressing iron which may readily be converted from a dry iron to a steam iron or vice versa and which has the same weight whether used as asteam iron or as a dry iron.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved pressing iron readily convertible to a steam iron which can be used to iron pleats, ruffles, sleeves and the like with greater case than irons heretofore available.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved pressing iron with simple and compact means for selectively controlling the temperature thereof for different ironing operations.

.It is a further object of the present invention to provide a pressing iron of the open handle type with control means for controlling one of the variable characteristics of the iron by means of a knob on the end of the handle.

it is another object of the present invention to, provide a new and improved steam iron in Which-a constant flow of water is provided at all times undera suificient pressure-head to insure the production of largequantities .of steam which will cause deep steam penetration of the goods being ironed.

it is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved steam iron employing only distilled water which will not require periodic filling of a water tank and emptying of the tank when the ironing operation is completed, but which may be used for many hours without filling and which is simple, compact andvery sturdy in construction.

'It is another object of the present invention to provide a steam iron of the flash-boiler type having animproved steam generating chamber.

A still further object of the present invention resides in the provision of a new and improved steam iron. which is substantially instantaneous in operation providing the Q steam within approximately thirty seconds after the iron is plugged in.

Further'objects and advantages of' the present invention Wlll become apparent as p ocee the following description ds and the features of novelty which characterize Wlll be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

For a better understanding of the present invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawings in which: I

Fig. l'is a perspective view of a portion of an ironing board with which is associated the pressing iron of the present lnvention connected for operation as a steam 11011;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the pressing iron only of the present invention showing only a portion of the electrical and water connections thereto;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially along line 33 of Fig. 2 and showing the control switch in the off position;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 44 of Fig. 3 assuming that Fig. 3 shows the complete structure;

Fig. 5 is a greatly enlarged sectional view taken on line 55 of Fig. 4, again assuming that Fig. 4 shows the complete structure;

Fig. 6 is a greatly enlarged view with certain portions cut away 0 shown with the switch contacts of the control means shown inrthe closed position;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged top-plan view of the pressing iron of Fig. 2 with certain portions broken away better to illustrate the steam generating chamber and the like;

Fig. 8 is a greatly enlarged sectional view taken on line 88 of Fig. 7 assuming that Fig. 7 shows the complete structure;

Fig. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view of the cover of the steam generating chamber showing the position it assumes before attachment to the steam generating chamber;

Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken on line 1010 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line 1111 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary bottom view of the sole plate of the pressing iron of the present invention to illustrate the steam ports and the steam distributing grooves provided therein; and

Fig. 13 is a somewhat schematic circuit diagram of the electrical circuit of the pressing iron of the present invention with the control switch shown in the closed position or in other words, the energized position of the iron. present invention comprises an open handle iron with a sole plate having the wellknown U -shaped form of heating element embedded therein and with a very large steam generatnig chamber defined over a substantial portion of the sole plate area confined within the confines of the U-shaped heating element. The steam generating chamber has ports leading therefrom to the bottom surface of the sole plate while a conduit connected to an external source of water terminating in a fixture on the outside of the iron connects this fixture with the steam generating chamber so that when connected to an external source of water, water will be supplied to the steam generating chamber for conversion to steam. In view of the open handle construction novel and yet very effective means for controlling the temperature setting of the iron are provided including a control knob mounted at the end of the iron handle. A very compact construction is provided.

Referring now to the drawings there is illustrated the pressing iron of the present invention having the conventional power cord 21 which may be connected to any suitable wall outlet as will readily be understood by those skilled in the art. The iron 20 as viewed in Fig. l is illustrated as being associated with an ironing board 22 which of course forms no part of the present invention. In order that the pressing iron 20 may be readily converted to a steam iron there is provided an attachment generally designated by the reference numeral 25 in Fig. 1 of the drawings. This attachment 25 generally comprises a water tank and conduit means for connecting the tank to the iron 20 and controlling the water flow thereto. Specifically it comprises a support 26 which is designed to be clamped to the edge of the ironing board preferably at one end of the board as illustrated in Fig. l. The support 26 is designed to position a container 27 a predetermined distance, such as eighteen inches or the like, above the surface of the ironing board 22. This container 27 which may have a removable cover 28 is connected by means of a flexible tubular member or corn duit 29 to the pressing iron 20. The flexible conduit 29 is in turn connected to a rigid conduit 30 which rigid conduit is adapted to be connected with the pressing iron 20. Actually the flexible tube 29 and the rigid conduit 30 may be identical with that disclosed and claimed in the above-mentioned copending application.

Preferably the end of the rigid conduit 3t) adjacent the flexible tube 29 as is best shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings is provided with a molded unit 31 which comprises a shut-off valve and a cord support. The shut-01f valve includes a manually operable knob 32 which can be moved to either the On or the Off position as indicated in Fig. 2, it being shown there in the Off position. The molded member 31 includes a clip portion 310 to receive therein the power cord 21 whereby the flexible conduit 29 and power cord 21 tend to be held together adjacent the iron. It will also be apparent that the rigid conduit 30 will then hold not only the end of the flexible tube 29 but also the power cord 31 in a predetermined relationship relative to the iron to make it very easy for the housewife to manipulate the iron without interference from either the power cord or the flexible conduit 29. It has been found in connection with the steam iron disclosed and claimed in the above-mentioned application that housewives actually prefer to keep the rigid conduit 30 in position when the iron is not being used as a steam iron since it maintains the power cord 21 out of the way. Under these conditions the flexible conduit 29 may be disconnected from the molded unit 31 which preferably has a nipple extending therefrom for insertion into the flexible conduit 29.

It should be understood that the container 27 will be one holding a substantial quantity of water and the house wife will fill it with distilled water and can then iron for many, many hours and over a period of several days without refilling as contrasted with the conventional tanktype steam irons where repeated filling of a relatively small tank is required. Preferably, and as indicated in Fig. l of the drawings, the tank 27 is provided with some sort of a strainer designated at 35 to prevent any foreign matter from getting into the flexible conduit 29. It will be understood that by virtue of the fact that the container 27 is mounted a predetermined distance above the ironing board 22 it will provide a constant pressure-head of water. If desired the distilled water may be used directly from the container in. which it is purchased and a suitable pump arrangement for applying pressure thereto may be provided. Such an arrangement is disclosed in the above-mentioned copending application and it will be appreciated that that arrangement may be employed equally well instead of the gravity arrangement disclosed in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

Preferably the flexible conduit 29 is formed of rubber or plastic material and is designed relative to the pressurehead of the source to feed to the pressing iron at least 0.35 ounce of water per minute. The internal diameter of the flexible tube may be of the order of .065 inch and with the pressure-head provided by having the tank 27 disposed eighteen inches above the ironing surface, the desired flow of at least 0.35 ounce per minute is obtained. This diameter is many times the diameter of orienema? frees employed in conventional steam irons and the area of the passageway is thereforebetween ten and twenty times greater than the area of the orifices of prior steam irons. As a result of this, the resistance to water flow with the steam iron of the present invention is primarily that provided by the flexible conduit 29 and since this resistance -to fiow is relatively large under all circumstances there is a relatively small change in impedence to flow when ironing dense as against less dense goods so that much deeper and better steam penetration is obtained with the pressing iron of the present invention than with conventional steam irons having a built-in water tank. in this regard the pressing iron of the present invention has the advantages set forth in the above-mentioned copending application. 1

Considering now the details of the pressing iron of the present invention, reference may be had particularly to Figs. 3 to 11 of the drawings. The iron is in many respects similar to that disclosed in the above-mentioned copending application. As illustrated the pressing iron 21? comprises a sole plate 40 heated by an electrical heating element 41 which preferably is of the sheathed type. Such types of heating element are well known and generally comprise a helical resistance conductor centrally disposed within an outer metallic sheath. Supported in spaced relationship with reference to a sheath is an insulating heat-conducting mass formed of a suitable material such as highly compressed magnesium oxide. This latter material has been found to provide the desired insulation and at the same time have sufiiciently good heat conducting properties so as not to delay the transfer of heat from the coiled resistor element disposed centrally of the sheath to the sheath and hence to the sole plate which it is desired to heat. The sheathed heating element 41 is best shown in Figs. 3, 4- and 7 of the drawings and has a generally U-shaped configuration or roughly in the shape of a hairpin with the extremity of its legs designated as 41a and ill; respectively disposed at the rear of the iron and its bight portion 410 disposed at the front or pointed end of the sole plate at}. Preferably the U-shaped heating element 41 is embedded in the sole plate 4% as by being cast therein during the process of casting the sole plate from suitable materials such as aluminum or the like. As illustrated in the drawings and specifically in Pig. 7 thereof, the sole plate is provided with an integral upwardly extending U-shaped rib 40a in which the sheathed heating element ll is received. The sheathed heating element All is moreover provided with suitable terminals 431: and 43]; extending out of the metallic sheath as best shown in Figs. 4 and 7 of the drawings, it being understood that these terminals are suitably connected to the centrally disposed resistance element.

F or the purpose of defining a steam generating chamber which is in good heat transfer relationship with the heating element 41 or at least with the rib illa in which the heating element ll is disposed, the front upper portion of the sole plate 443 is provided with a well or chamber generally designated as 45 which may be referred to as the steam generating chamber. This'steam generating chamber i5 is defined within the space bounded by the closed end of the U-shaped rib Alla and a cross-member 46 (Figs. 3 and 7) which extends between the two legs of the U shaped rib ill-a and effectively interconnects these legs. This cross-member as is disposed a substantial distance away from the bight of tlte'lJ-shaped rib lilo so that a very lar e steam generating chamber is provided, taking no more than half of the surface area of the sole plate between the legs of the U-shaped heating element ll.

in order that a satisfactory steam generating chamber may be defined which is closed to atmosphere except for the steam exit passageway and the water inlet passageway the adjacent top edge of the rib lllaenclosing the steam generating chamber 45 is provided with a ledge or sealing surface generally designated as 47 which is level with the top of the cross-member 46 for supporting :thereon a suitable cover or closure 48 for the steam generating chamber 45. The cover 48 of the steam generating chamber forms an important feature of the present invention.

Heretofore it has been common practice to employ some sort of gasket or sealing cement between cover such as 4-8 of the steam generating chamber and the sealing ledge 47. in accordance with the present invention and as best shown in Figs. 7 to 11 of the drawings the cover 48 is effectively a three-part cover comprising an upper stainless steel member 43a, an intermediate asbestos member 48!; and a lowermost aluminum foil member 480. in a commercial embodiment of the present invention the stainless .eel cover plate 48a had a thickness of of an inch, the asbestos layer 4817 had a thickness of of an inch and the aluminum foil 48c had a thickness of 0.004 of an inch. All three of these members forming the cover 43, have the configuration shown in Fig. 7, conforming with the shape of the ledge or sealing surface 47. Also in accordance with the present invention the stainless steel cover element 43a is initially bowed as shown in Figs. 9 and 10 ot' the drawings, so that when drawn into sealing engagement by suitable fastening means with the ledge 47 the cover will be stressed to provide a good seal all around the edge. It will be appreciated that the asbestos layer 481) attends the necessary resilience for a good seal and the aluminum foil 48c keeps the water and steam from the steam generating chamber from coming in contact with the asbestos layer 48b. In addition the aluminum foil provides a metal to metal seal with the ledge and the aluminum conforms to any unevenness of the ledge The stainless steel layer 48a in elfect provides a backing plate to uniformly transmit the sealing force to the entire periphery of the cover 48.

For the purpose of holding the three layers 48a, 48b and 430 as a sort of subassernbly use is made of the conduit for supplying water to the steam generating chamber 45. To this end there is provided a short length of conduit 5-9 preferably of copper or the like and having a diameter comparable with that of the flexible tubing 29 discussed above. This conduit 49 the major portion of which extends generally in the longitudinal direction of the sole plate as is apparent from Fig. 7 has the end adjacent the steam chamber 45 bent at right angles so as to extend generally downwardly and this downwardly directed portion extends through aligned openings in the layers 43a, 48b and 480. A suitable washer 50 is slipped over the end of the tube extending through the three layers as best shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings and the end of the tube is peened over as indicated at 49a, thereby to secure together the three layers forming the cover 48 so that these three layers together with the conduit 49 form a subassemoly. The other end of the conduit 49 is bent at an angle as indicated at 4% and terminates in a bushing 52 by means of which external connection with the external water source described above can be made as will become apparent from the following description.

To secure the cover 4-8 to the steam chamber 45 in sealing relationship with the sealing surface 47 there are provided a plurality of screws or fastening means 53, five being shown in Pig. 7 of the drawings and specifically designated as 53a, 53b, 53c, 53d and 53e. These screws extend through the cover 43 and are secured in tapped openings defined in the sole plate 40. As illustrated three screws 53a, 53b and 530 are used along the portion of the cover disposed toward the rear of the iron 20 and are effectively secured to the cross-member 46 or integral extensions thereof. The screw 53d engages a tapped opening pretty much centrally disposed of the steam generating chamber d5, so that by tightening the screw 53d the bowed configuration of the cover 48 is distorted so as to provide a very good seal all along the sealing edge 37 around the steam generating chamber 45. The screw 532 extends through the front central portion of the cover 48.

In order to be sure that only dry steam reaches the metal or the like To obtain distribution of the steam at the ironing surface over a substantial area of this ironing surface, the

that chamber 45 62 and 63 are a plurality of transverse 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70 and 71.

extend towards each other from generating chamber between the barriers 64, The barriers 64 and 65 the sides of the steam and 62 and again do not Simi- All of these barriers integral with the sole the level of the sealing surface 47 so that sealing engagement with all of these barriers and the cover 43 is made. The barriers 70 and 71 are similar to the others extending in from the side walls and are between the barrier 63 and the recess 57. Thus water entering the steam generating chamber 45 by dropping on the raised recess .77 and hence the of several very tortuous in Fig. 7 from the draw- For the purpose of further insuring that only dry ports 56 there may also be inserted generating chamber 45 a suitable metal Two such pieces of metal mesh may be formed of a non-corrodible metal such as Monel are designated by the reference numeral 72. As illustrated in Fig. 7, the metal wool pieces are indicated as being of somewhat U-shaped form around to go barriers and surrounding recess 57. not converted to steam must the rear of the wall section defining the recess a narrow passageway between 7.1 and over a relatively high wall Thereby all water droplets remain to ing of the iron, super-heated steam.

For the purpose of making sure that the water drops supplied to the steam generating chamber 45 steam generating chamber is coated with a suitable wetting agent.

A suitable wetting agent for this purpose is disclosed in the above mentioned co-pending Jepson application.

generating chamber 13 coated with a suitable wetting agent a sufiicient temwill operate satisfactorily will wash away as distilled water continually thereto.

It will be apparent generating chamber 45 and thereto together with the ports 56 and associated grooves 58 somewhat inverted dish shape having some respects very similar to the shape extending some distance beyond depending portion 73:: of the shell or cover 73.

In order to secure the shell or cover 73 to the 40 there is provided on the upper surface of the a pair of upwardly extending bosses 40c and 40d. These bosses are formed integrally with the sole plate just to the rear of the steam generating chamber 45 and are certain suitable fastening screws 74. In this way the cover or shell 73 becomes a unit sole plate sole plate The portion of the shell or cover 73 the heel of the sole plate 40 provides a access to suitable fastening means for to the sole plate and the like. housing section to the rear provided a suitable closure to engage certain projections the sole plate.

extending beyond housing aifording securing a handle In order to enclose this of the sole plate 40, there is plate 75 which is adapted Preferably a portion of reduced cross-section of the stud '77 is inserted into an opening in the shell73 'and'the'end of this reduced cross-section is peened over to thereby secure the stud 77 to the shell 73. This provides a simple means for securing the closure plate 75 in position.

In order that a major portion of the sole plate 40 can be inserted into the ends of sleeves, deep ruffies, and the like, without interference from the handle, as was the case with prior pressing irons, there is provided a handle generally designated as St) which is of somewhat L-shaped configuration comprising a hollow hand grip portion 80a disposed somewhat in a horizontal plane when the ironing surface of the sole plate is resting on an ironing board or the like, and a sort of post portion 80b which with the portion 89a defines a sort of L. The post portion 80b is also hollow and extends toward the sole plate 40 terminating in a somewhat enlarged sort of shell portion 80c adapted to overlie the shell 73.

In order that the handle 80 may be secured to the sole plate 40 or to the shell 73 which in turn is secured to the sole plate 4%, there is provided a handle mounting plate 82. This handle mounting plate has a configuration substantially like that of the skirt portion 80c of the handle 80. The handle at) is preferably formed of a molded insulating material such as one of the many synthetic resins capable of withstanding relatively high temperatures in the neighborhood of 275 to 300 F. During the molding operation of the handle there preferably are molded into the portion 800 a plurality of threaded metal inserts by means of which the handle plate 82 may be secured to the handle 80. Asillustrated a plurality of screws 84 extend through openings defined in the handle plate 82 and engage the threaded inserts molded into the handle 80. The plate 82 is preferably provided with means to space it slightly from both the handle 80 and the cover or shell 73 thereby to reduce the heat transfer between these members.

With the handle plate 82 secured to the handle 80 there is provided a very simple means of securing the handle 80 to the shell 73 and hence to the sole plate 40. As illustrated the forward portion of the plate 82 is provided with depending hook members 32a which are adapted to be inserted in suitable openings 73b defined in the cover or shell 73 and hook the forward edges of these openings. Preferably raised protuberances 82b defined in the handle attaching plate 82 permit the same to rest on top of the screws or fastening means 74 which secure the cover 73 to the sole plate. To further secure the handle 89 to the sole plate a pair of screws 86 are inserted through openings near the rear of the shell 73 into suitable nuts which may be welded or otherwise secured to the handle attachment plate 82. These screws 86 can readily be inserted from the underside when the cover plate 75 is removed so that when the cover plate 75 is replaced, the fastening means are entirely concealed. The shell or cover plate 73, the handle plate 82, and the portion 80c of the handle 80 are provided with suitable somewhat aligned openings through which the bushing 52 connected to the water supply conduit 59 may extend. In order to provide means for readily connecting the conduit 49 with the external water supply and specifically with the rigid conduit 3% there is provided a sleeve 88 which threadedly engages the bushing 52 and is provided with an external thread 88a to accommodate ready connection with the external rigid conduit 30. This sleeve is preferably chrome plated so as to provide a very pleasing appearance and is substantially identical to the arrangement disclosed and claimed in the above-mentioned *copending application. To prevent lint or foreign material from entering the sleeve 88 there is provided a suitable cap 90 pivotally mounted to suitable supporting means secured to the handle attaching plate 32. This cap tends to close the open end of the sleeve 8% when the iron is used as a dry iron. When the iron is used as a steam iron the cover 90 is pivoted about its hinged pivot to permit the insertion of '91 to at least partially accommodate the rigid'conduit 30'discussed above. The open position of'this cover is shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

With the arrangement described above and by virtue of the fact that the handle 80 is very low it will be apparent that there is little room for temperature control means which heretofore have been contained within wells defined within the sole plate. In accordance with the present invention the hollow handle 8%? and specifically the post portion 80b is provided with a relatively large chamber a suitable temperature responsive control means generally indicated at 92 for selectively controlling the temperature of the sole plate 40. Any temperature responsive control device associated with the iron 20 should be one that will permit maintaining any selected accurate temperature of the ironing surface of the sole plate 40. The space for mounting the temperature control device 92 is behind the steam generating chamber 45. Since the water supplied through the conduit 49 is supplied to the steam generating chamber 45 adjacent the rear portion of the steam generating chamber, and since this water is at a relatively low temperature even though it has been warmed to some extent by traveling along the conduit 49 which is fairly close to the heating element ll, there is a likelihood of producing an area or zone adjacent the cross-member 46 not representative of the temperature of the sole plate. To make sure that the thermal-responsive device 92 is responsive to the average temperature of the sole plate there is provided a raised support 94 for the thermal-responsive device 92 which is integral with the sole plate 40 but which is separated from the cross-member 46 by a recess 93 thus effectively providing a heat barrier between cross-rnember 46 and support 94. This support 94 acts as a support for the thermal-responsive device 92 which can then be responsive to the temperature of this support 94 which is approximately that of the sole plate 40. The recess 93 between the elements 46 and 94 insures that the support 94 will not be adversely affected by the cooling effect produced by the water supplied to the steam generating chamber closely adjacent thereto.

The thermal-responsive control device 92 comprises a sub-assembly which is adapted to be secured as a unit to the support 94. One of the principal elements of the thermal-responsive control device 92 is a bimetallic element 96. This forms the bottom of the sub-assembly and is disposed so that when the sub-assembly is clamped to the support 94 the bimetallic element 96 is mounted in cantilever fashion with the fixed end thereof in good heat conducting relationship with the support 94 whereby the bimetallic element 96 is responsive to the temperature of the sole plate 40. As illustrated the high expansion side of the bimetallic element 96 is defined opposite the support 4 so that as the temperature of the sole plate rises the bimetallic element 96 will deflect downwardly.

The thermal-responsive control device $2 further includes a pair of spring contact arms 97 and having supported at the free ends thereof switch contacts 98 and 100 respectively. These contacts @8 and 3.8% are designed to provide a switch for controlling the flow of current to the heating element 4-1. The contact arms 97 and 99 are suitably supported within the subassernbly in insulated relationship. The contact 98 might be considered the moveaole contact while the contact lfitl might be considered the stationary contact, although the contact 1% is selectively moveable to provide the desired temperature control. T he sub-assembly 92, also includes a connector device 103 for electrically connecting a thermal-responsive control device 92 with the terminal of the heating element 41. Preferably there is welded to the terminal 43a an L- shaped conductor 104 which is connected to the connector 103 by a suitable fastening means 1%. There is also included in the sub-assembly a connector run which is mounted in the stack of elements comprising the thermal-responsive element 92 which is connected to the direction as viewed terminal 43b of the heating element '41 through another L-shaped conductor 107 and fastening means 108. The connector 106 includes an extension 106a defining a terminal which extends in a vertical direction into the chamber 91 defined within the post 80b of the handle 80 for connection to the power cord 21 as will be described hereinafter. Similarly there is another terminal 109 also extending into the chamber 91 within the post 800! for making electrical connection with the other conductor in the power cord 21 as best illustrated in Figs. 3 and 13. The elements 96, 97, 99, 163 and 106 are suitably assembled into a stack with interposed insulating members so that by completing the connections with the power cord to the terminals 136a and 109 and by completing the connections with the fastening means 105 and 188 the schematic circuit of Fig. 13 is completed whereby power may be supplied to the heating element 41 through the switch contacts 93 and 100 when these contacts are closed. The various elements 96, 97, 99, 103 and 106 are also suitably insulated from each other so that the illustrated circuit is provided and they are held together with each other and with a suitable cam support 110 by means of hollow rivets 111. These rivets are hollow so that suitable fastening means 112 may extend through the hollow rivets and secure the entire sub-assembly 92 to the sole plate and specifically to the raised portion 94 whereby the bimetallic element 96 is in good heat transfer relationship with the sole plate.

In order that the bimetallic element 96 may open the switch comprising the contacts 98 and 100 the end of the bimetallic element is bifurcated as indicated in Fig. 4 and the bifurcations 96a and 96b are interconnected by a suitable element welded to the bifurcations for supporting thereon an insulating crossbar 115. A suitable Z- shaped member 116 is secured to the contact arm 97 so that it extends between the bifurcations of the bimetal 96 and into the path ofmovement of the insulating member 115. Preferably the member 116 includes a compensating thermostat responsive to the ambient temperature of the iron. As the bimetal 96 deflects and the insulating crossbar 115 moves downwardly it engages the extension 116 and moves the relatively moveable contact 98 away from the contact 100.

It will be appreciated that diiferent settings of the iron temperature are necessary for various operations. For example, when ironing synthetic materials such as rayon and the like an entirely different temperature is necessary than when ironing cotton or linen goods and also there are certain temperatures that are most desirable when operating the iron as a steam iron. Accordingly, means are provided for selectively changing the position of the stationary contact 106 whereby the operator may manually position this contact and thereby change the temperature at which the sole plate 4%) is maintained. To this end there is provided an insulating cam 121 pivotally mounted to the cam support 110 as indicated at 122. A suitable spring 1 which has the central portion thereof wrapped around the pivot pin 122 and the ends 124a and 12411 engaging the support 116 and the cam 121 respectively tends to rotate the cam 121 in a counter-clockwise in Figs. 3 and 6 of the drawings. The cam 121 is provided with a cam surface 121a which is adapted to engage a sort of a raised portion on switcharm 99 thereby accurately to control the positioning of stationary contact 1%.

Since as will become apparent from the following description the means for controlling the position of the cam 121 is a linear means, the cam surface 121a cannot comprise a linear cam surface since the operation of the bimetallic element 96 is not linear. It will be obvious that as the bimetallic element deflects further and further the bias of the forces against which it operates are increased since effectively the spring bias of the contact lever 97 opposes the bimetallic element as do also the inherent forces in the bimetallic element itself. 'Moreover, at higher temperatures of the iron the heat losses are greater and thus a non-linear cam surface 121a is necessary. In a commercial embodiment built in accordance with the presentrinvention the cam surface a comprised several sections each having a different rate of rise to provide the non-linear cam surface 121a. Preferably the cam 121 is made from a suitable insulating material such as a glass laminate with a silicone resin binder which can readily withstand the temperatures involved, and which can be constructed on a narrow strip and still provide a satisfactory cam surface.

In order that the operator may control the selective positioning of the stationary contact 100 in a simple and easy manner there is provided a manual control means in the form of a control knob mounted for relative rotation with respect to the handle 80 at the end of the hand-grip portion 80a with the knob 130 effectively appearing as a continuation of the handle as clearly indicated in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing. For the purpose of rotatively supporting the knob 13%) and suitable control means actuated thereby there is provided a rotatable shaft 131 which is mounted for rotation within a passageway 132 defined substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of the handle portion 80a. There is also defined within the chamber 91 in the post portion 80b of the handle 80 a depending section 813d which has an opening effectively to provide a bearing for one end of the rotatable shaft member 131. The other end of the rotatable shaft member 131 is suitably secured to the knob 130 in a manner to be described hereinafter. To provide an effective bearing for this end of the shaft 131, the knob 130 is provided with a portion 130a of somewhat reduced cross section which is capable of being inserted into a conforming recess 133 defined in the end of the handle portion 80a and effectively comprises a continuation of the chamber 132. Thus, a portion of the knob 130 is nested within the end of the handle 80:: and when attached to the shaft 131 effectively provides a satisfactory bearing for that end of the shaft 131. The knob 130 is hollow to define a chamber 135 therein into which the end of the shaft 131 extends by passing through a portion of the knob 130. A suitable member 136 is secured to the shaft 131 and is clamped against one face of the knob 1.30 by means of a clamping nut 137 and an interposed washer 138. It will be appreciated that relative rotation for adjustment purposes can be obtained between the member 136 and, hence, the shaft 131 and the knob 130. To improve the appearance of the knob 130, the chamber 135 is preferably closed by closure member 1 40 held in place by a screw 141 engaging a stud 142 which is suitably secured to the end of the shaft 131. I

For the purpose of transmitting rotatable movement of the knob 130 to pivotal movement of the cam 121, the end of the shaft 131 which extends into chamber 91 has secured thereto a suitable gear 144 which is adapted to drivingly engage a rack 145a forming a part of a reciprocally movable lever 145 pivotally secured as by a pivot pin 146 to the cam 121. The rotatable movement of the gear 144 will then cause pivotal movement of the earn 121 to provide any desired selected temperature. A suitable washer 148 and a out 149 secured to the end of the shaft 131 having the gear 144 fastened thereto holds the rack portion 145a in engagement with. the gear 144. Preferably, the rack portion 145a is defined along one side of an elongated slot 14512 defined in the upper end of the reciprocating member 145.

To afford access to the chamber 91 to assemble the rack 145a with the gear 144 and to make electrical connections between the thermal responsive device 92 and the power cord 21, the rear of the post portion 86b of the handle 80 is open and adapted to be closed by a suitable closure member 150 fastened in place by a suitable screw 151 engaging a projection 82c of the handle plate 82. Preferably the closure member 150 includes a lip portion "with the present invention,

The helical spring is provided with a plurality recess 161 being above tween the knob 130 and the member 136.

150a which engages with the handle 80 in a manner clearly indicated in Fig. 3 of the drawings, and also includes a barrier portion 15011 which extends between the terminal connectors 106a and 109to prevent them from coming into electrical engagement; The power cord 21 enters the chamber 91 through a suitable opening 154 and the two .conductors 21a and 21b thereof are electrically connected 169. In accordance an improved strain relief means is provided which comprises the conventional helical spring 155 disposed concentrically with the cord 21 adjacent the point where the cord enters the handle 80. of enlarged turns 1550 which are of sutficient diameter to prevent them from entering the opening 154. The helical spring is also provided at the end thereof most adjacent the opening 154 with aplurality of turns of small enough diameter to enter the opening 154. These turns of reduced diameter terminate in a hooked portion 155c for a purpose which will become apparent as the following description proceeds. In accordance with the present invention, there is secured to the power cord 21 within the chamber 91 a cord clip 16! which may comprise a sheet metal stamping having a cylindrical portion 160a clamped to the cord 21 after it is inserted through the opening 154. This cord clip has a lateral projection 1601) extending downwardly therefrom, as viewed in Fig. 4 of the drawings, and another T-shaped projection 16ilc extending upwardly therefrom. The chamber walls adjacent the opening 154 within the chamber 91 are provided with a pair of opposed recesses 161 and 162, the the opening 154 as viewed in drawings, and the recess 162 being below the opening. These recesses are clearly shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. The hook'shaped portion 155c of the helical spring 155 is adapted to engage the T-shaped extension 160c of the cord clip 160. This is accomplished by placing the spring under tension and sort of threading it into pos'tion so that the turns of large diameter 155a are pulled against the edges of the opening 154, which opening maybe tapered as is clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. Thus, the extension 16% of the cord clip is forced into the recess 162 and the T-shaped projection 166a presses against the chamber wall with the result that these projections engage the chamber walls and provide a very excellent strain relief. The inherent force of the coil spring 155 maintains the hook-shaped portion 1550 in engagement with the projection 1660. At the same time the cord can readily be removed by merely rotating the cord in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 5 of the drawings to unhook the hoolshaped portion 1550 from the projection 160e, whereupon the spring 155 can be slipped along the cord and the cord can be removed by removing the cord clip 160.

From the above description it will be apparent that a very simple and compact iron has been provided which can be assembled in a very easy manner. The gear on the shaft 131 can be connected with the rack, and the setting of the knob 130 can readily be calibrated by releasing the nut .13] and producing relative rotation be- By virtue of the thermal-responsive control device 92 being partially contained within the handle 86 and partially contained between the sole plate, it is possible to have a pressing iron with a very low silhouette and still with an open handle to permit one to insert almost the entire sole plate into the end of a sleeve, a deep ruffle or the like. The iron can be converted in a simple manner from a steam iron to a dry iron.

In view of the detailed description included above, the operation of the pressing iron of the present invention will readily be understood by those skilled in the art, and no further discussion thereof is included herewith.

While there has been illustrated and described what is at present believed to be the preferred embodiment to the terminal connectors 166a and Fig. 4 of the '14 of the present invention, numerous changes and modifications will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, and it is intended in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A pressing iron comprising a sole plate, an electric heating element disposed in heat exchange relationship with said sole plate, a handle of somewhat L shape having one arm of the I. connected to said sole plate toward the rear of said sole plate and the other arm extending forwardly over said sole plate whereby the major portion of said sole plate may be inserted into ruffles, pockets or the like without interference from said handle, means defining a chamber at least a portion of which is in said handle, thermal-responsive control means disposed insaid chamber for controlling the temperature of said sole plate, manual means for selectively controlling the setting of said thermal-responsive control means comprising a snob forming an extension of said other arm and rotatable about the longitudinal axis thereof, a rotatable shaft within said other arm and extending generally along the longitudinal axis thereof, means for drivingly connecting said knob with one end of said shaft, and means for connecting the other end of said shaft with said thermalresponsive control means.

2. A pressing iron comprising a sole plate, an electric heating element disposed in heat exchange relationship with said sole plate, a molded handle of somewhat L shape having one arm of the L connected to said sole plate toward the rear of said sole plate and the other arm extending forwardly over said sole plate whereby the major portion of said sole plate may be inserted into ruffles, pockets or the like without interference from said handle, means defining a chamber at least a portion of which is in said handle, thermal-responsive control means disposed in said chamber for controlling the temperature of said sole plate, manual means for selectively controlling the setting of said thermal-responsive control means comprising a knob forming an extension of said other arm and rotatable about the longitudinal axis thereof, a rotatable shaft within said other arm and extending generally along the longitudinal axis thereof, means for drivingly connecting said knob with one end of said shaft, and means including a rack for drivingly connecting the other end of said shaft with said thermal-responsive control means.

3. A pressing iron comprising a sole plate, an electric heating element disposed in .heat exchange relationship with said sole plate, a molded handle of somewhat t. shape having one arm of the L connected to said sole plate toward the rear of said sole plate and the other arm extending forwardly over said sole plate whereby the major portion of said sole plate may be inserted into ruffies, .pocltets or the like without interference from said handle, means defining a chamber at least a portion of which is in said handle, thermal-responsive control means disposed in said chamber for controlling the temperature of said sole plate, manual means for selectively controlling the setting of said thermal-responsive control means comprising a knob forming an extension of said other arm and rotatable about the longitudinal axis thereof, a rotatable shaft within said other arm and extending generally along the longitudinal axis thereof, means for drivingly connecting said knob with one end of said shaft, a gear secured to the other end of said shaft and means comprising a racl; mechanism for transmitting rotary motion of said knob to selectively control said thermalresponsive control means.

4. A steam iron comprising a sole plate, a steam generating chamber in said sole plate, means for supplying water to said steam generating chamber for conversion to steam, an electric heating element disposed in heat exchange relationship with said sole plate, a molded hannected to said chamber in thereof, a rotatable shaft within said other arm and extending generally along the longitudinal axis thereof, means for drivingly connecting said knob with one end of said shaft, and means for converting rotary motion of pivotal movement of said cam.

electric iron,

said handle, means for supplying electrical energy to said iron comprising a power cord extending into said chamber through said opening adjacent said opening, said spring including a portion extending into said opening, and means for providing a strain relief device including the end of interlocking with on said cord is concerned.

7. An electric iron comprising a sole plate having eleca lateral projection, a coiled spring surrounding a portion of said cord outside said handle adjacent said opening, said spring including a portion thereof extending into said opening, and means for providing a strain relief device including the end vof said spring inserted into said opening, said end of backing member said spring interlocking with causing said member to bear handle adjacent said opening, said spring including a plurality of turns of reduced diameter capable of being inserted into said opening, means including a plurality for limiting the maximum amount of said spring msertable into said opening, the

of said spring and efiectively mechanically securing said to said handle.

iron, said cover comprising a multilayer cover including a metal foil sealing element for engaging the edges of said recess, a resilient backing member engaging said foil, and a relatively rigid clamping member engaging said resilient iron of claim 12 wherein said resilient is sheet asbestos and said foil is alu- 13. The steam minum.

14. The steam iron of claim 11 including a conduit extending through said cover for supplying water to said steam generating chamber wherein said conduit holds the layers of said multilayer cover together as a unitary structure.

15. The pressing iron of claim 3 wherein said last mentioned means includes a pivotal cam member connected to said rack mechanism.

3 cover includes a 16. The steam iron of claim 11 in which said multilayer rigid clamping member.

17. The steam iron of claim 4 wherein means are provided for impairing the heat exchange relationship be tween said steam generating chamber and said thermalresponsive control means.

18. A pressing iron comprising a sole plate, an electric heating element disposed in heat exchange relationship with said sole plate, a handle secured to said sole plate including a hollow somewhat horizontal portion and a hollow somewhat vertical portion, thermal-responsive means supported on said sole plate toward the rear end of said sole plate, manual selectively operable control means supported at the front of said handle, and mechanical motion transmitting means interconnecting said manual control means and said thermal-responsive means whereby selective operation of said thermal-responsive means is obtained, said motion transmitting means extending both within said hollow somewhat horizontal and said hollow somewhat vertical portions of said handle.

19. The pressing iron of claim 18 wherein said motion transmitting means includes a first rotatable somewhat horizontal portion disposed within the somewhat horizontal portion of said handle and a second nonrotatable somewhat vertical portion disposed within the somewhat vertical portion of said handle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,353,151 Elsenheimer July 11, 1944 2,385,606 Campbell Sept. 25, 1945 2,436,753 Kuhn et a1. Feb. 24, 1948 2,459,113 Rehrn Jan. 11, 1949 2,496,746 Opperman Feb. 7, 1950 2,547,558 Bremer Apr. 3, 1951 2,602,248 Finlayson July 8, 1952 2,662,316 Johnson Dec. 15, 1953 2,663,100 Bricker Dec. 22, 1953 2,710,469 Vance et a1. June 14, 1955 2,741,044 Maykemper Apr. 10, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 452,562 Great Britain Aug. 25, 1936 

